Dvora Institute

זכויות של ילדים קורבנות של פשעי מלחמה- עו"ד עירית גזית, מנהלת יחידת התיעוד במכון דבורה, מצביעה על קשיים ודילמות בחשיפה ובתיעוד של כאב של הילדים נפגעי 7 באוקטובר ובכלל, ומעלה נקודות למחשבה כאשר עוסקים בסיקור ובתיעוד כאב של ילדים, ובכללן הצורך בתיעוד מודע טראומה שיש בו כדי למזער נזק נוסף לקורבנות ובמיוחד לילדים. למאמר דעה המלא: https://lnkd.in/d-YN8Zcp

Children's rights are often overlooked; yet those victimized by war crimes deserve the highest protection and dignity from us. Adv. Irit Gazit, Director of Documentation at the Dvora Institute, calls for ethical media practices to protect the youngest survivors of October 7. She addresses the urgent need to document trauma without causing further harm to victims and especially children. Her important op-ed here: https://lnkd.in/ddXV3Aqj #ChildProtection #MediaEthics

"We began the fight to give voice to the women that suffered on October 7, by bearing witness. By exposing ourselves to the horrors without a filter. In terror. And with the understanding that if we don’t cry out for our sisters, no one will. And if they silence us, we will shout louder. Across the world. That’s what we did, and that’s what we must continue to do." - Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy Last night at Tzavta, Dr. Elkayam joined a powerful gathering of women who shared stories of resilience and courage, honoring the strength that has emerged in the face of unimaginable pain since October 7th. It was an evening devoted to lifting voices, fostering healing, and standing united in the fight for justice that continues to echo worldwide.

In a powerful interview with Erica Zingher from Welt, Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy shares harrowing details of the atrocities committed against women, children, and entire families on October 7th by Hamas. She further talks about the Civil Commission's ongoing work to uncover evidence of systematic violence, including torture, rape, and execution, while facing abandonment and silence by international organizations. Dr. Elkayam-Levy introduces the term "kinocide" to describe the deliberate targeting of families, an unimaginable cruelty designed to destroy the future of a society. Despite the challenges, she talks about her and the #CC07's commitment to documenting these horrors and bringing justice to the victims. Read more the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/dtRKA5S8

A must-read op-ed by Sheryl Sandberg and Nadia Murad on the heartbreaking story of Fawzia, an 11-year-old Yazidi girl kidnapped by ISIS in 2014 and held in captivity for nearly a decade. Her recent rescue from Gaza and reunion with her family in Iraq is a powerful reminder of the horrific crimes committed against women, children and families in conflict. #Kinocide Read the op-ed in TIME magazine: https://lnkd.in/dVGeBHHV

This week, Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy joined Dr. Qanta Ahmed at the Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University. They addressed the atrocities of October 7th against women and children and the troubling silence from the international community that followed. Dr. Cochav stated, “After reviewing thousands of images and videos of acts of terror against women and children, and witnessing the most brutal acts against families—parents murdered before their children, children killed before their parents—we realized that this horror, that we defined as Kinocide - the weaponization of families , is not yet defined as a war crime. We urge the international community to recognize this unspeakable form of brutality as a new crime.”

Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy at the panel following the screening of Sheryl Sandberg's Screams Before Silence in Los Angeles: "The Civil Commission was born from the void left by international silence following the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Our endeavor is similar to the vision of the Shoah Foundation, with the goal that it will serve future prosecutions. When the film was made, I had two thoughts: first, that we currently lack an international mechanism to protect women's rights; and second, that the brutality we've witnessed has no adequate response. We must ensure a different future for our girls." "When the film was made, we collected hundreds of pictures and videos of women and children. Through our analysis, we uncovered the horrific abuse suffered by families. This made us realize that there are no laws currently addressing this kind of human suffering—the weaponization of families: kinocide. That's what we are working to change." "We have all changed after October 7 and have taken a stand for our people and that gives me hope. We have grown stronger and now, it is our generation’s time to fight for human rights, women's rights and a better future." "I want to especially highlight how meaningful it was that, at such a low point, Sheryl reached out and created a powerful international voice, standing by our side. You believed in us, and that meant the world. Let us remember that, even though many remained silent, we found brave leaders who took a stand and showed moral clarity." Simon Wiesenthal Center Photo Credit: Sammi Trauben

Very important and productive meeting with the technology and archival staff of the USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education. The USC recorded 400 testimonies from survivors and family members of the 7 October atrocities. At the meeting, Adv. Merav Israeli-Amarant, CEO of #CC07, and Adv. Elinor Kroitoru, Director of Archive and Documentation Division, shared the #CC07’s challenges, methodologies and explored future collaborations. Thank you, USC Shoah Foundation for your hospitality.

Yesterday, at the Media TLV Berlin conference, Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy spoke about the documentation of the atrocities committed on October 7th. She emphasized the critical importance of documenting the horrific and brutal crimes committed on October 7th, ensuring that the voices of victims are heard and justice is pursued.

A very difficult and sad morning here in Israel. With a heavy heart, we remember Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino, whose bodies were recovered yesterday in a special IDF mission. On October 7th, Carmel, Eden, Hersh, Alexander, Almog, and Ori were alive when they were brutally taken as hostages. Tragically, they were murdered in cold blood by Hamas while in captivity in Gaza. Their lives were stolen, but their memories will endure. May their memory be a blessing. #BringThemHomeNOW